Kern County Sheriff's Office investigators believe the woman took nearly $50,000 from the organization.

It's a shocking revelation that has parents and teachers stumped at the Cummings Valley Elementary School in Tehachapi, where many of the funds from the organization are used. The money raised by the group goes towards playground and classroom equipment.

The Sheriff's Office said the main suspect is 39-year-old Melissa Fair.

According to the department, Fair was a former board member with the parent-teacher organization.

Tiffany Waldowski, the newest president of the parent-teacher organization, said they discovered the missing thousands after a change in board members.

"I just took over this year, and when we did take over we found some discrepancies," said Waldowski.

The Sheriff's Office was made aware of the missing money in August and conducted an investigation.

Fair is no longer on the board, and the parent-teacher organization is working on retrieving the money.